14 October 2022
Thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts.
We are at the verge on an unfolding water crisis. In fact, it has already started. The media used to bring epic pictures on disasters, on floods first and foremost, because those footages are the most graphic ones.
Out of the three dramas of water – too much, scarcity, too polluted, all of them can be fatal. But the highest tolls are taken by the droughts. The slow killers, but very often, the most ultimate form of water related challenges.
The answer to withstand the challenge of the droughts for thousands of years, used to be the use of ground water. The vast reservoir, as it was just mentioned, of fresh water, available to us.
Unless it is overused or polluted, unless the water demand goes way beyond the level of natural replenishment.
Groundwater is a precious source of drinking water, irrigation and ecosystem sustainability.
My wish is to make groundwater, “the invisible water” more visible.
My aim is to bring conversations about that great resource of ours out of the circles of scientists and water experts. Because it needs scientific back-up, but it is a vital question of life and death for many.
Because it is a vital question for the economy, the food production, the industry, human settlements, and biodiversity. The way we deal with our ground water resources, will decide the outlook of our development in all its dimensions.
So increasingly as it was mentioned by Ambassador (Boštjan) Malovrh, it is becoming a critical means for coping with the adverse effects of climate change.
My objective is to move those discussions into a different terrain: that of the decision-making circles.
It’s time. But as we know, water is also political. Heavily political issue.
148 countries share groundwater with at least one neighbour.
Only 12 of these countries have aquifer-specific arrangements.
We can do better than this. It is falling way behind the recommendations of the 1977 Mar del Plata conference on the integrated water resource management, and way behind the Agenda 2030.
Managing transboundary aquifers in a cooperative way is a cross-cutting issue: its technical aspects are often overshadowed by legal, social and economic considerations. We should not neglect these considerations. We must solve them.
Today, we are to assess the following question:
When it comes to transboundary groundwater resources, what are the legal instruments, and the guidelines that can advance cooperation among Member States?
Well, as it was mentioned already. Firstly, I am convinced that the 1992 UNECE Water Convention provides us with model provisions of transboundary groundwaters. So we can copy a lot from them.
Secondly, we have the draft articles on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers, which will be discussed by the relevant Committees of the GA. I’m really looking forward to those discussions. Time is running out.
In the run up to the UN 2023 Water Conference, let me share some suggestions as to how we may wish to engage with the Conference:
On the 25th of October, I will be convening a day-long high-level meeting to finalize the selection of themes for the interactive dialogues and other matters in preparation of the 2023 Water Conference.
My team and I have already been working closely with the co-hosts of the conference, Tajikistan and the Netherlands, UNDESA and UN-Water, as well as other relevant stakeholders.
The other aim of the discussions on 25 October, and the stakeholder consultations on the day before, is to identify game changers to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 – sustainable management, clean water and sanitation for all. If we just put together the good practices, what we have done already, the good lessons learned, that’s nice but may not be enough. If we repeat the best practices what we have done so far, it may take us to the same place that we are now. So we need game changers.
I look forward to hearing your proposals on what you have identified as catalysts for transformative actions.
The Water Conference – together with events on climate, biodiversity and disaster risk reduction to be convened throughout the 77th session of the General Assembly – will lead the way to the “SDG Summit” in September 2023 and the “Summit of the Future” in 2024.
Their ultimate goal is, just like our ultimate goal today is, to seek the ways of transformations.
I invite all of you to bring the outcomes of your today’s consultations, your solutions and ideas, to the General Assembly for shared discussion.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I cannot imagine an issue that is more serious and more urgent than water – including the issue of groundwater.
Simply said, our immediate and long-term future depend on it.
We should respect, protect and cherish our number one resource. We should learn how to cooperate over it.
And we should never forget the prophetic words of Jacques Yves Cousteau: “the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”
Thank you very much.
